High-Level Champions'
Newsletter
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2nd anniversary of the Race to Resilience |
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The bill for financing a resilient future by 2050 is estimated to run into hundreds of billions of dollars. Where the money will come from remains a hot topic of debate. What isn’t up for debate is the need to deploy it and fast. 3.6-3.9 billion people are already vulnerable to climate change.
Last year, the 10 costliest extreme climate events each caused more than USD 3 billion in damages. The numbers speak for themselves.
According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2023, in the short term (two years) three of the top five risks are all related to sustainability in the form of extreme weather, failure to mitigate climate change and finally erosion of social cohesion. Whilst in the long term (10 years), sustainability-related risks including climate, biodiversity and inequality, account for 8 of the top 10 risks.
Speaking in Davos last month, Peter Bakker, CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), a CEO-led organization of more than 200 leading companies, said: ”Despite the uncertainties in the global economy, sustainability is now mainstream. Climate risks and the need for climate action are high on the agenda. An emerging view is that the solutions need to connect and cover the three big global challenges - Climate, Nature and Inequality, in a systemic and transformative way.”
Launched two years ago, the Race to Resilience has been working to do just that. Led by the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions, it aims to mobilise the non-State actor (NSA) community to help build resilience for 4 billion people impacted by climate change by 2030.
To date, the campaign has 39 partners, representing over 2,000 organisations, delivering action in 192 countries. Through this vast network, it helps the most vulnerable, frontline communities build resilience and adapt to the physical impacts of climate change, such as extreme heat, drought, flooding and sea-level rise, in rural, urban and coastal areas.
Following the success of The UN Biodiversity COP (COP 15) in Montreal last year, which underscored the overlapping significance of the biodiversity and climate agenda, Race to Resilience is placing Nature-based Solutions (NbS) at its front and centre of a number of projects.
Examples include, firstly combining mangrove replanting with breakwater building to protect 11 island villages in in the Philippines, and secondly introducing “pocket parks” in Athens to provide shade during heat waves And finally enhancing the livelihoods of 1.5 million farming families across Africa through the restoration of 1.9 million hectares of degraded agricultural land.
These are just a few examples of the tangible, positive impacts the Race to Resilience through its partners and members are having on communities’ lives and livelihoods across the globe.
Building on this implementation, the Sharm El Sheikh Adaptation Agenda was launched by the COP 27 Presidency in collaboration with the High-Level Champions. It’s the first comprehensive global plan to rally both States and NSAs behind enhancing resilience for 4 billion people, from vulnerable groups and communities, by 2030.It sets out 30 global adaptation outcome targets across five impact areas: Food Security and Agriculture; Water and Nature; Human Settlements; Ocean and Coastal Systems and Infrastructure Systems. The Champions will seek this year to elevate this Agenda and showcase global progress to accelerate investments on adaptation and resilience.
As Vivian Amasan, Community Leader of the Bagongon Fisherfolks Association in Concepcion, Philippines said: “We did not have an appropriate plan in place to respond to the emergency of climate change as we were not actively engaged as a community. We’ve now achieved this through the participation of our members and community in the Race to Resilience and are more prepared to face the challenges of climate change.”
Check out more inspirational stories on how the Race to Resilience is helping billions of people across the globe adapt to the increasing severity of climate change.
Join our community in making a difference and become part of the Race to Resilience.
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UN Climate Change High-Level Champions, Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin and Her Excellency Ms. Razan Al Mubarak recently participated in the World Government Summit in Dubai.
Speaking at the summit’s Women in Government Forum, Ms. Mubarak elevated the role female leadership can and must play in advancing us to a net zero, resilient and more equitable world.
Together with esteemed colleagues in the climate arena, H.E. Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment of Egypt, and H.E. Khadeeja Naseem, Minister of State for Environment, Climate Change and Technology in Maldives, Ms. Al Mubarak discussed the need for prioritising women’s participation in the COP 28 process.
Speaking at the event Ms. Al Mubarak said: “I am incredibly proud to be one of the high calibre females we see coming out of the Arab region, not on the periphery but really leading negotiations and demonstrating the value of collaborative thinking, the values of empathy. Having women front and centre, leading these efforts is a recipe for success and we look to carry this over into COP 28.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Mohieldin attended the Seventh Annual Arab Fiscal Forum hosted by the Arab Monetary Fund, International Monetary Fund and the UAE’s Ministry of Finance. The outcomes of COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh were discussed, notably the launch of the Loss and Damage Fund and placing of adaptation at the centre of climate action with the launch of the Sharm El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda. Dr. Mohieldin also discussed ways to enhance private sector funding for adaptation projects and emphasised the challenges currently facing developing countries in financing sustainable development given their increasing debt burdens.
He also underscored the instrumental role COP27 played in advocating on behalf of the developing world at the Global Councils on SDGs: Climate and Partnerships session he attended alongside Ibrahim Al Zu'bi, Senior Vice President, Climate Change and Sustainability, ADNOC and Khawla AlMehairi, EVP of Strategy and Government Communication, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. On the road to COP28, he also called for the implementation of recommendations of the High-Level Expert Group on Net-Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities and the full involvement of non-State actors in activities addressing loss & damage.
Dr. Mohieldin also met with Francesco La Camera, Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to discuss bridging the renewable energy investment gap in developing countries. He also met with Lisa Kurbiel, Head of the Joint Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Fund to discuss impact driven solutions.
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Shoring up Nature-based solutions in East Africa |
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Around the world, healthy ocean ecosystems - a key source of food and livelihoods for coastal communities and beyond, are under threat. Climate change and biodiversity loss have caused coastal erosion and that jeopardize the economic, social and environmental viability of coastal regions, particularly those in developing countries where the impacts are highest.
To address this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) will partner with Mission Inclusion to reduce the physical and socio-economic vulnerability of East African coastal communities to the devastating effects of the climate crisis.
The Regenerative Seascapes for People, Climate, and Nature project will be implemented in coastal and marine regions of the West Indian Ocean, in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar and the Comoros. The biodiversity degradation and fish stock depletion caused in large part by the climate crisis are major challenges for these communities.
The project will directly benefit 350,000 people, including 225,000 women and 12,500 people in vulnerable and marginalized situations.
At the recently held IMPAC5 (the 5th International Marine Protected Areas Congress), the Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Canada’s Minister of International Development, announced USD 30 million in government funding for the three-year project under the country’s Partnering for Climate program.
IUCN will lead on delivering two of the project’s three major objectives - improving biodiversity conservation and implementing sustainable and effective management of marine protected areas.
Mission inclusion will be responsible for the third objective, ensuring the economic empowerment of women in the blue economy. The organisation will work with local partners to build the skills of women and girls in blue entrepreneurship and strengthen the voice of women’s organizations and networks to ensure that their rights are better protected.
The project is a significant contribution to the Great Blue Wall (GBW) initiative which aims to create a network of marine and coastal protected areas for the preservation of biodiversity and local livelihoods, involving local communities as stewards of the ocean.
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● In a recent interview EU climate chief Frans Timmermans said the continent of Africa is probably going to be the most important partner for Europe in terms of developing the renewable energy sector. He said while Europe is growing its domestic renewable energy production, it will also need to look beyond its borders to secure the levels it needs. To help fill the gap the EU is looking to Africa, where there is a high potential for renewable energy production – in particular solar power.
● Fewer than one in 200 companies who submit climate change-related data to CDP have a credible climate transition plan according to its latest review of corporate submissions. The data underlines the scale of the gap between company pledges to transition to net-zero carbon emissions and the detailed plans that show how a firm will align its entire business model to meeting those targets.
● The Climate Investment Funds (CIF) will lend Colombia USD 70m at a low interest rate so that it can invest in its transition from dirty to clean energy. The funds are aimed at infrastructure which helps get renewable electricity to communities and businesses including batteries to store renewable electricity, transmission lines to move it around and facilities to make green hydrogen with it. The money comes from a US 300m pot made up of one-off donations from the governments of the United Kingdom, Netherlands and Switzerland.
● Worldwide investment in the green energy transition amounted to USD 1.1 trillion in 2022, setting a new record according to a report by BloombergNEF. This represents a rapid acceleration from the year before as the energy crisis and policy action prompted faster deployment of low-carbon technologies. The report also states investment in low-carbon technologies appears to have reached parity with capital deployed in support of fossil fuel supply. Energy Transition Investment Trends is BNEF’s annual accounting of how much funding businesses, financial institutions, governments and end-users are committing to the low-carbon energy transition.
● Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, Secretary-General António Guterres warned the world is at risk of exceeding the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. He called for three game-changing climate action, halving global emissions this decade, promoting transition to renewables, and provide adequate finance for climate action.
● At Oslo Energy Forum, the UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell emphasized in his speech that there is incredible opportunity in the next ten months to make 2023 the pivot point for the energy transition, a definitive moment in what must be a decisive decade for climate action. For years, the world was told the difficulties of energy transition, yet precisely the opposite has occurred and global momentum for the global energy transition has been witnessed.
● While they may be competitors on the catwalk, several big-name brands are marching in lockstep to tackle climate change. UN Climate Change convened the members of the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action both in Bonn and virtually, which saw the attendance of about 100 representatives, amongst which LVMH, Nike, adidas, H&M Group, Inditex, Kering Group, GAP Inc. to define next steps in the decarbonization of the industry. The UNFCCC Executive Secretary participated with an opening remark commending the industry for choosing the path of collaboration, calling on it to do more, think systems and use their communications to win the hearts and minds of people. Over the two days, participants agreed to continue to work on 2030 transition plans, ramp up efforts on policy engagement and advocacy, work on mobilizing their supply chain and strengthen decarbonization efforts through collaborative action.
● UN Climate Change , Gold Standard and the Clean Cooking Alliance , among others, are working to harness the potential of carbon markets and build awareness for market-oriented solutions. More than 2.4 billion people around the world cook with polluting stoves and fuels. Clean cooking - for example using energy efficient stoves and solar energy - contributes in a major way to the health and well-being of poor communities by reducing indoor pollution and driving down fuel bills. It is also an essential part of the solution to climate change. Carbon markets represent a critical resource in support of clean cooking by helping to finance alternatives.
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Keeping up with the Champions |
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● The High-Level Champions Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin and H.E. Razan Al Mubarak met the Marrakech Partnership to share their reflection from COP 27 and priorities and key timeline towards COP 28.
● Dr. Mahmoud’s co-authored book: Business, Government and the SDGs: The Role of Public-Private Engagement in Building a Sustainable Future was published. It discusses the interlinkages between government, the business sector and community, offering ideas for emerging and developing countries.
● Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin spoke at the launch of the volume titled “Keys to climate action: How developing countries could drive global success and local prosperity”, where he co-authored a chapter on Egypt’s climate challenges and opportunities. Together with prominent scholars and policy experts, he emphasised the need for urgent investments in adaptation and resilience as well as a just, managed and financed transition for Africa and fossil-fuel dependent developing countries.
● H.E. Razan Al Mubarak continued to engage on Nature-based solutions, Inclusion, the Global Stocktake and a Just Energy Transition through various meetings with Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, FAO, and stakeholders from the private sector and civil society.
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As part of the One Forest Summit, the Global Mangrove Alliance and the High-Level Champions invite you to join a Roundtable discussion on scaling up investment to deliver on the Mangrove Breakthrough. The Mangrove Breakthrough is a global target aiming to catalyse actions for restoring and protecting mangroves globally. Please register using this link.
● IADB Annual meeting 16-19 March
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UN Climate Change | Global Climate Action | Race to Zero | [email protected] | unfccc.int |
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